Which of these statements is true about large trucks?
- They take longer to stop than passenger vehicles. ✓
- They all have air brakes that allow them to stop quickly.
- They are more maneuverable than passenger vehicles.
Answer: A. They take longer to stop than passenger vehicles.
Large trucks take longer to stop than passenger vehicles traveling at the same speed.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says large vehicles and commercial trucks need more distance to stop than passenger cars going the same speed. At 55 mph a passenger vehicle can stop within 300 feet, while a large vehicle at that speed can need up to 400 feet. It also explains that the heavier the vehicle and the faster it moves, the longer a safe stop takes, so a loaded truck needs more room than an empty one. That is why you should leave extra space in front of a truck and not cut in front of it and slow down.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. They all have air brakes that allow them to stop quickly. — The handbook never says every truck has air brakes or that air brakes let a truck stop quickly; it says the opposite about stopping distance for large vehicles.
- C. They are more maneuverable than passenger vehicles. — The handbook states that large vehicles and trucks are not as easy to maneuver as passenger vehicles, since they often must swing wide to complete a turn.
Remember it
Picture the space gap in front of a truck: the bigger and heavier the vehicle, the longer the stretch of road it needs to stop, so don't fill that gap.